Matt Lee | Student Life

Freshman Becky Berels executes a flip throw-in against Emory University on Oct. 3. A flip throw-in travels much farther than a traditional throw in.

The 2010 Washington University women’s soccer team showcases a skill that not many other teams possess—a flip throw-in. Freshman midfielder Becky Berels brought this non-traditional technique to Wash. U. and has used it throughout the Bears’ season.

The flip throw-in provides a team the opportunity to turn a restart into an offensive attack by hurling the ball far into the the pitch instead of along the sideline.

“Any time you have a restart, you are looking to penetrate the defense as far as you can,” head coach Jim Conlon said. “The flip throw sometimes offers a longer throw-in than a traditional throw-in, so we can get it deeper and closer to our goal.”

Berels, a Detroit native, took gymnastics for four years in elementary school, which helped her develop the necessary abilities to learn the technique. As she moved through her soccer career, playing for Utica High School and the Michigan Gators F.C. team, Berels picked up the throw-in.

At one of her practices for the Gators, Berels and her teammates were goofing off, and she did a front handspring. Her teammates immediately told her to try a flip throw-in.

“I tried one and landed on my butt,” Berels said. “But I kept working on it and working on it, and finally, I can do it.”

The flip throw-in is a difficult maneuver to perform, requiring a lot of momentum and flexibility.

“First you have to figure out how much space you need to build up the speed to actually land the handspring,” Berels said. “Then, you run up and set the ball on the ground and kick your feet over your head while your hands are still on the ball, and once you get perpendicular to the ground, you arch your back. When your feet hit the ground, you snap your upper body forward and release the ball as you straighten your body.”

Berels said that developing the skill took about two years, but it wasn’t until she arrived at Wash. U. that she first started using the flip-throw in games.

“I am definitely using it here more than I ever have,” Berels said. “At club and high school I never used it, but, here, Coach [Conlon] really seems to enjoy it.”

Berels has used the special maneuver at least once in each of the team’s games. She said that she aims to perform the flip throw-in at least once every practice to ensure that she can execute it during game-time.

“Becky practices it when she feels good enough to practice it,” Conlon said. “We make sure we have her ready to use it when needed.”

The Bears don’t have any set plays off of her throw-in. However, Conlon wants to continue to use it as an offensive threat.

“It’s been successful in getting it into the box and deeper than some other throw-ins,” Conlon said. “We probably need to fine-tune it and make sure it’s something we grow off of.”

Even though the Bears use the flip throw-in as an offensive threat, Conlon is not trying to teach other members of the squad how to do it.

“It’s not something we teach, it’s something they bring or don’t have in their repertoire,” Conlon said.

Berels is the only player on the team to have this skill and the first in Conlon’s three years as the Bears’ coach to use it.

“It is a special skill that not everyone possesses, and that’s why it is a unique skill that Becky can do it,” Conlon said.